Working it out
by Steffili
Summary: Set within Season 1 but in a AU setting: Peter comes out of prison and Alicia & Peter try to work on their marriage. Little fluff piece. :D
1. Chapter 1

This story was prompted by Kiki sending me the link to the first season scripts and there was SO much good stuff in there that got left away...and I wanted to do something cute and romantic AP, so I figured I'll do a story like in a parallel universe where Peter comes out of prison and they REALLY work things out between them. I'm keeping stuff from the show but will add more and more as the story progresses and later on change things in content and mix some and alter their chronology. Some stuff will be left away. This focuses solely on their relationship so the whole campaign and re-elections stuff is mostly gone. Also focusing more on what the 2 of them are thinking.

This is for all my AP fluff loving girls. :) You know who you are. Also, I don't own the Good Wife or some of the scenes I'm working into this story. I see this as a tribute to AP and their love :D  
Special thanks to Kiki, she helped me much with getting this started and tossed in some funny and sweet ideas :-)

* * *

ALICIA POV

I sit with Jackie, Zach and Grace in the living room, waiting for the knock on the door that will announce Peters return from prison. He'll be confined to this apartment until his retrial, and I still can't quite grasp the fact. He will be back home. After everything that's happened, him cheating on me and then going to prison for allegedly taking bribes, he's coming back home.

I am happy of course, he is still my husband and the father of our children, and it will be good for them especially to have their father back home. I have no idea how I am going to deal with having him here so closely to me, with being around him again in the relatively small confines of my new apartment, an apartment I got for me and the kids and that wasn't to have any room for him. I'm glad for the maid's room that was so far not used so it's possible to at least have separate bedrooms for now - it will be strange enough sharing the bathroom with him.

My thoughts are interrupted by a knock on the door.

"Here we go." Grace says. I get up and smile at the kids - reassuringly I hope - and tell them I love them. Then I walk over to the door, automatically checking my appearance in the mirror, wondering idly if Peter would like how I look today, then stop. What am I doing? I roll my eyes at myself, like that's of any concern now. I open the door and there he is, accompanied by the same police officer that came here before to check out the apartment. He's looking good, his glance finds mine and he smiles softly at me.

"Hi." he says, his voice trembling a little.

I say "Hi." back to him and feel slightly lame - but then again, what is the proper protocol for greeting your estranged husband that's just coming out of prison? Overall I am happy to see him, I smile and step a little aside so he can come in, which he does. His smile becomes a little wider and then he just hugs me to him and I let him, it feels good, warm - _normal_ - though I can't help but stare at the police officer and the silver case he's carrying.

The hug seems to go on forever, until Zach comes up behind us to greet his father. They hug, too, and are both grinning widely now, I didn't worry there much anyway. I was a little afraid how Grace would react, and sure enough, she's standing a little aside, insecure what to say or do and clearly nervous.

"We made you a cake." she says with a wavering voice.

Peter gives her his best charm smile and asks her if that would be an upside down pineapple cake, and she just runs to her father and hugs him, crying softly. He soothes her though, she has always been his little girl and I know she loves her father very much, she's just too young to understand what was really going on and shocked to see his downfall like it happened.

At least Jackie greets her son and I just stand aside a little, watching them reconnect, feeling a little like an intruder. They have already forgiven and forgotten most of what he did and will be able to go back to the way things have been before everything fairly easily. I know that I can't, not just like this, I've been hurt too deeply and him and me have some share of work before us and I'm still not sure if it will ever be ok again between the two of us.

The police officer explains how the monitoring will work. Peter is confined to the apartment 24 hours a day, is not allowed to use telephone or internet communications. If he accidentally crosses the threshold there will be an alarm and then a phone call from the monitoring center that he has to answer within 5 rings or he will be terminated from the program. I shudder lightly at the sound of that.

Then the transmitter is attached to his ankle, it really is a strange sight, because Peter is such a strong and proud man and that he's to be confined by one tiny piece of electronics is just weird. After the cop has attached the transmitter, he leaves and wishes us a nice evening. We all stand there in awkward silence until Jackie comes to the rescue and tells us we should have dinner and eat the cake as desert now, we all agree and sit down at the table. I once more sit there and just watch them and listen to them talking, it's just so weird to have him back like this, in his normal clothes, no jumpsuits or other prison attire anymore.

After eating cake Jackie excuses herself and leaves, I start cleaning up while Peter is starting to unpack in his room. I get Grace to help me with the dishes, then the kids say good night to their father and go to their rooms. The quiet that settles over the apartment at that time normally comforts and calms me, today it has the opposite effect. I feel unsettled and nervous because I dread being alone with him for the first time, having to face him and talk to him like everything was back to normal. And sure enough I hear him entering the kitchen just as I take out the bottle of red wine I opened earlier to get me a refill.

"Do you want a glass?" I offer him with a small smile.

He nods.

"Yes please." he says and I pour him a glass as well.

We drink in silence for some time, just cautiously watching each other.

"I hope you like your room." I tell him because I don't know what else to say.

He quirks a brow and smiles softly.

"It's a little small, but that's all right. I get why you wanted to have it like that - you need your distance, and that's fine with it. Also, I really like the apartment."

I shrug my shoulders and look at him a little unbelieving.

"It's the fifth a size." I tell him, knowing that it's nowhere near to the comfort of our old home that he had been used to.

"Do you miss the house?" he asks me.

I tell him, no, well sometimes I do, because I really haven't missed it much before. I like my new apartment as well, because it's mine, it's my new world I had to create for me because I thought there would be no more him and me. It's no wonder I feel he's somehow misplaced, standing here in my kitchen and drinking wine with me.

"Well, it will do for now. It might be small, but you made a really good job of it and it makes me feel right at home here. So don't worry." he tells me.

I smile at the honest compliment.

"Thanks."

Silence settles back in. I sigh.

"I have to work in the morning, so..." I tell him as a way to get out of this conversation that feels so strange and awkward.

He laughs at that.

"It's weird, isn't it? You're going to work and I'm staying home."

I laugh, too.

"Yeah." I say, thinking that weird doesn't even begin to cover it. I want to yell at him suddenly, want to tell him how much blood and sweat it took for me to get here while he was not there at all, that I had to take care of the kids, the new apartment and my new job all on my own and that it was so hard setting it all up until it was running so smoothly like it's doing now. But I'm really too tired for that now, so I just go up to him and smile.

"It's good to have you home." I tell him and lean in to give him a kiss to the cheek, then turn and walk to my own bedroom, closing the door behind me and sighing in relief. That wasn't too bad, was it? Now we just would need to figure it out one day at a time.

PETER POV.

I look after her as she leaves the kitchen to go to her own bedroom. It's so good to be out of prison finally but the whole separate bedroom thing is kind of a downer. I wasn't lying when I told her that I understood her need for space, because I do. I hurt her badly and I know she's not healed yet, and I know just by having me here she's agreeing on giving us one more chance, but I'm still disappointed a little. But I guess I'll just have to be patient now and try to win back her trust and love. She did say she still loves me and deep down I know it's true, so I'll just have to wait until she gives me an opening.

Until then I'll just have to find something to occupy myself with, while she's out and working. I shake my head at how crazy my life has become in the span of a little more than a year, I lost my family and my job and went to prison. It's amazing that they are willing to give me a second chance and I'm sure as hell won't blow it again.  
I switch off the lights in the kitchen and retire to my own room.

The next morning I just sit there and watch Alicia making breakfast and getting the kids ready for school. I asked her if I could do something but she said no, she had it covered and for me to just sit. So that's what I do, I watch them and smile over the coffee mug, then say goodbye to the kids. Alicia has to go shortly afterwards and before she goes she stands closely to me and our eyes meet. I'm tempted to pull her in for a kiss and before I know it she reaches up and gives me a small peck to the lips, it's only a brief contact and before I can react she's gone again, telling me goodbye and leaving the apartment, not even seeing the silly smile that spreads all across my face.

The silence in the apartment is almost depressing. I wander around a bit and look at everything closely. It's really tastefully done, but Alicia always had a good hand for that. I switch on the TV and watch a little and can't believe the crap that's on there. Who in their right minds could actually stand that for more than 10 minutes, let alone enjoy it? I channel surf some more but I don't find something good, so I go back to wandering around. I open the front door and peek out into the empty hallway. This can't go on like that, so I call up Golden and tell him it's time to get to work on my campaign to be re-elected State's Attorney. Why lose any more time?

* * *

It turned out to be an eventful day after all. First with Zach showing me the faked pictures that were sent to hurt my family while I was still in prison, then me hiring Eli Gold as my new campaign manager. When I was alone with the kids I told them that they shouldn't have kept the pictures from their mother, but Zach said he didn't want to hurt and upset her, and I can relate to that I guess.

I promise them to tell her about it so that's what I do when she comes home. I smile, I know how to handle her after all, so first I pour her a glass of her favorite red wine, then tell her I need to talk to her in private. She's as shocked as me about the pictures and that the kids hid them from her and wants to talk to them right away. I tell her, it's ok, I handled it and already talked to them and we would address it all together the next day once more. She tells me she doesn't know and she's not sure we will work this out.

My heart is breaking a little for her, I understand she had to rely on her own instincts for the time I was away and is now constantly stressing about what would be the right thing to do. It's time for me to lift some of that burden off her again. I step in closer and hand her the wineglass again that she has put down on the dresser. I give her a soft and quick kiss to the lips, similar to the one she gave me this morning and smile at her reassuringly.

"I promise. We will work this out. You're not alone in this anymore, so why don't you relax a little? You had a long day at work and I've got it covered with the kids, so just go and have a hot bath or something." I say, then leave her her space once more, going back to play video games with the children.

ALICIA POV

I watch Peter and the kids for a short while, then close the door behind me. So many things are running through my mind. I'm still shocked that someone would actually fake pictures like that just to hurt me - because it's clear the pictures were meant for me. But then my kids found them and kept them from me, instead of coming forward so some measures could be taken.

What's more present on my mind though it's...Peter. He'd just taken care of things like in old times and it felt so natural to just let him take the lead and fall in behind him. What the hell? I stare at the wineglass in my hand, then take a sip, because of course he was right, I needed that badly, also the hot bath he suggested sounds very tempting. I walk towards the bathroom and let the water run, inwardly still wondering how it's possible for him to come back and it's almost feeling like he never left. I take off my clothes and let myself glide into the hot foamy water, sighing contently, taking another sip of my wine. I relax there for some time, my eyes falling shut - until I'm startled out of my thoughts by a knock on the door.

"Alicia, are you still in there? Can I come in and brush my teeth?"

I look around, fully awake and alert now.

"What? No you can't! I'm still in the tub." I call out.

I actually hear him laughing.

"Oh come on, I won't take long and I promise I won't look." he says, teasingly.

I roll my eyes, but he can't see that.

"Yeah well whatever, then come in if you must." after all there is still a sufficient amount of foam floating on the water, so there's really nothing to see. Also that's not really the point, I mean, we've been married for a long time, so me suddenly acting all shy is totally ridiculous.

He comes in and grins at me, then turns away and brushes his teeth, I relax and close my eyes again. After a while it becomes quiet and I open my eyes and catch him standing there, watching me.

"Peter! You promised you wouldn't look!" I call out, and he laughs and turns away.

"I'm sorry. Old habits die hard. I'll leave you be now. Good night." he tells me and leaves, ducking out of the room just in time to avoid being hit by the wet sponge I throw after him.


	2. Chapter 2

PETER POV

I sit on the couch and read as I'm suddenly startled by a strange ringing. I locate it, it's a mobile phone, must be Alicia's? I answer it and it's Will Gardner on the other end, trying to get a hold of Alicia. I tell him she must have forgotten her phone at home, and politely ask if I should leave her a message. He tells me no, he's getting in touch with her through another lawyer she's with and hangs up the phone quickly, obviously as uncomfortable talking with me than I am with him.

A little later I call Alicia at her office because I need the tax return files and can't find them. She tells me to look under her bed. I ask her how she's doing and she tells me she almost got arrested this morning. This gives me pause. I can't think of a scenario where she could end up being arrested, she tells me she just got caught up in the middle with her client, and I'm glad she escaped. I've been arrested and it's not something I want her to ever have to go through.

"How are you?" she asks me, and I smile.

"Good! I made a BLT and I'm VERY proud of myself." I actually am proud of my growing cooking skills, so I have to tell her about it, and she's laughing softly on the other end.

"You know, this is the closest we've had to a normal conversation."

I smile.

"Yeah. I like it." I tell her, because I really do, the way she's talking to me and all relaxed.

"Maybe we should talk on the phone more." she says, her tone of voice changing a little and it's almost like if she's flirting with me. But that gets me started on another thought and before I can stop it, I tell her.

"Speaking of which. You left your cell phone here. Will called."

I'm shocked at myself how hostile I make that sound and mentally kick myself for that the second I said it. Her voice is back from warm and flirty to cold and all business, confirming my suspicions that I just took this one step too far. Damn it!

"Yeah. He got in touch. Anyway, I have to go back to work. Bye."

She hangs up and I sigh. How could I be so stupid and be jealous of Will, like there is any reason. I retrieve the box she had pointed me to from under her bed, but it's taped shut so I can't see if it's really the right one. I open her bedside drawer to find scissors or a letter opener, and nearly fall over backwards when I see it...condoms. In her bedside drawer.

Thousand explanations come to my mind and they are either highly improbable or just downright making me sick. I just stare at the 2 tiny foil packages in my hand and can't make any good sense of their presence there. I put them back and shake my head, trying to get rid of the bad feeling that's settling inside of me but miserably failing. The thought of her right here in this bed with another man...maybe even with Will Gardner...I grit my teeth, no, she wouldn't. I have to force myself to believe she would never go there, I should probably just forget about it and never mention it to her.

Later that evening she gets a call and it's clear it's her boss calling her back in to work. I cringe mentally at the image, them alone in his office...I had not been successful with banning the thought of them from my mind. I ask her if she's going to stay away all night, she casually shrugs her shoulders and tells me no, just a few more hours.

"I found condoms in your bedside table." - there. I said it. She just stares at me, obviously waiting where I am going with this, so I go on.

"I was looking for you letter opener. I thought, maybe they belonged to Zach, you know, you'd found them in his room. But then I thought you wouldn't just take them, you'd have a sensible conversation with him about responsibility. So then I thought they were yours, but that didn't makes sense because you have an IUD."

I explain, because that's what my logical internal reasoning was so far.

"I had it removed." she just tells me, her gaze narrowed, almost daring me now. Is that her way of punishing me? What is she saying, that I actually do have reason to worry?

"Oh really? So condoms do make sense?" I ask her, felling worse about the whole thing by the second. In my mind I'd played this conversation over and she'd just laugh and tell me I was being stupid and then give me a reasonable explanation about why she had the condoms in her bedside table.

"They do." she says, her tone still calm, too calm to be good, but I can't stop myself, either.

"For who?" I fire back. Then I see it. She's mad. She shakes her head lightly and steps over to the bed, emptying the contents of her purse, spreading them around and taking a step back.

"Check it Peter!" she says.

I roll my eyes. Now I am the evil one? It's not that I've been snooping, I just stumbled upon the incriminating evidence on accident.

"I said I was looking for your letter opener." I tell her, trying to make it clear that I'm not the one to blame. She doesn't even seem to hear me, she's furious now, and I don't understand why. I am the one to be furious here, not her.

She starts to open drawers.

"I have other drawers too, did you check these ones? How about over here, did you check this?"

She's not stopping and I have to yell to get through to her.  
"What is it you need to hear from me? I will never touch another woman again?" I know I hurt her deeply by cheating on her but still I could never tolerate her sleeping with another man. I don't even know if I could forgive her if she already did.

"What do you want, a prize Peter? It seems to be the minimum prerequisite!" Yeah, she has that right. Just to make the real point of this conversation clear I say:

"For both of us."

She exhales loudly.

"Then trust me." she says.

"Then don't go to work tonight." I ask of her. I'm going crazy at the thought of her leaving now like this, after we were fighting, to go and be with him. I can't let her leave now.

She gasps and stares at me unbelievingly, then begins putting her things back together. In the end she walks over to the bedside table and retrieves the condoms and to my sheer horror puts them into her purse as well.

"Trust me." she says, her expression almost a little cruel, then turns around and leaves. My instincts scream to go after her, to hold her back, but I just can't, I'm too stunned by her behavior and wonder when she became like that, fighting dirty was never something she was known for. I cringe, I know of course when, the second she found out about me and Amber. I sigh, I leave the bedroom to check if she's maybe still there, but of course she's already out the door. I open it and glance out to the empty hallway once more, cursing myself that I can't go after her.

ALICIA POV

I shut out all thoughts of our fight while being at work. On the drive home I can't anymore. I feel like driving around the block a couple of times, but that is silly, it's already past midnight and I'm tired. I still can't believe that Peter of all people would make such a scene about 2 condoms he found, assuming the worst instantly when he's the cheater of us, not me. It's true, reconnecting with Will has stirred up some feelings in me, and had me wondering about him, but I never ever acted on any feelings I might or might not have for him. Because I'm still committed to my marriage, and not willing to give up on it so quickly. I hurts me he would assume I'd cheat on him, it really does.

I open the door and step inside, then stop. Damn, he's still awake and waiting up on me. He's sitting on the couch and looking grim and a little sad. I feel irritation rise up inside of me, if he's planning on continuing our fight, I have no interest in that, because I'm way too tired.

"Hey." he greets me. I put down my purse and hang my coat.

"Hi. Have you been waiting up?" I ask him.

He nods.

"Yes, I have. Don't worry, I don't want to yell at you again. That was stupid and I'm sorry I did. But I think we should talk."

His apology takes me back a little. Ok, I didn't anticipate that. And he is right, there are obviously issues that need to be addressed. I sit down at the couch next to him.

"Are the kids asleep?" I ask him.

He nods.

"Yes. So as long as we keep this civil, we should be good." he tells me, smiling softly and hinting at the fact that we should try and discuss this in a friendly manner rather than screaming at each other. I sigh.

"Ok, you go first." I tell him, because it was his idea after all.

He looks at me and I see he's clearly uncomfortable with what he's about to say.

"Did you have sex with Will while I was in prison?" he asks, and I see in his eyes the thought alone is killing him. I gasp, so I was right and this is what it's all about. I can't help but smile because it's so silly he would think that. I meet his gaze and keep it.

"No Peter, I didn't. Ever." I tell him and I see he's relieved, so he's obviously believing me.  
He nods.

"I'm glad. But the condoms..."

I roll my eyes at him.

"Oh Peter, why do you have to assume the worst? They are in fact Zach's. I found them in his backpack and took them and we were to talk about it if he needed them. He claimed they weren't his, anyway and that he was holding on to them for a friend."

Peter looks at me with surprise on his face.

"Wow. I'm sorry I wasn't there. Kids these days. I guess I will have to talk with him about that. It's probably something a boy his age fees more comfortable talking about with his Dad."

I nod.

"Yes, I think so, too."

He shakes his head.

"Look, I'm really sorry, Alicia, for assuming the worst, but even though I know I brought this on myself by cheating on you, I can't stand the thought of you with another man. I love you, more than you know, and I get it if you don't believe me. But it's still true."

I nod. I do believe him, and I feel relieved that we cleared this up a little. I can't help but lean over and rest my head on his shoulder.

"I know it's true, Peter. And I respect that and our marriage and I am willing to help make it better between us again."

He puts his arm around me an pulls me closer, pressing a soft kiss to my hair and I smile and breathe in his scent. We remain like this for some time and I feel my eyes drifting shut. I start to move away from him.

"I'm tired and should go to bed. Good night, Peter." I say and suddenly we're face to face, only inches apart. I move in and kiss him, our lips moving softly together. It's a shy and innocent kiss, but still makes the butterflies in my stomach flutter. I smile and pull back, then get up from the couch and leave for my bedroom.


	3. Chapter 3

AN: Just FYI I'm cutting Will short in this story on purpose because this is about AP completely. But I will make it up to him in another story that's already going through my head. :P

* * *

ALICIA POV

This case is really hard and everyone that is on it is working overtime, but it's only normal for our client and her baby are running out of time. Literally. It's already really late and I'm finally on my way home. I stop by Will's office on the way home, he's on the phone with Patty, our opposing lawyer.

He's desperate once he hangs up the phone and blames himself for us not making any progress, that is clear. I tell him not to be so hard on himself. He looks so heartbroken and desperate, he's even close to tears. I tell him I know he's doing everything he can, I move in closer and lightly squeeze his shoulder to make my point clear.

He looks at me and suddenly the mood between us changes, becomes charged somehow and I feel myself unable to pull away and forget everything around us as he slowly takes my face into his hands and kisses me, I just let him have the lead and enjoy it, then he pulls away a little and just studies my reaction.

I stare back at him with wonder, my knees suddenly weak and my mind blank. He wants to ask me something but I just cut him off by pulling him in again and kissing him, a sigh escaping my lips because it feels so good and I suddenly feel desire cursing through me like I haven't in a while, surely not since Peter came back from prison. That thought is like a bucket of ice cold water and has me breaking the kiss.

"Damn it." Peter. I'm supposed to be working on my marriage. Not kiss Will.

Once more Will wants to say something but I just can't hear it, I have to get away. I run out of his office and into the elevators, then get into my car, but somehow feel unable to just drive away. The kiss was damn good and passionate. And I liked it a lot.

I'd secretly wanted to kiss him for a while now and it felt so good, so much better than I'd ever thought. I make a decision. I can't just run from him now, not like this, I have to face him and see what will become of this, it's my last chance to explore this with him.

I get back out of the car and take the elevator back to the 28th floor, but find his office empty. Damn, where is he? Dread starts to fill me as I think of Peter once more. It dawns on me that whatever I came back here to explore or find out, I can't. The kiss alone is bad enough and I'm not sure if Peter would even forgive me for that. Because it basically would tell him he had been right all along to worry about Will and me.

I get back on the elevator and go down to the parking garage once more. I have to get out of here and home. It will be bad enough facing Will again the next day at work and we would eventually have to talk about the kiss and I have no idea how he will take it when I tell him it was a mistake and we can't be doing this. Also I'm a little afraid I'm not strong enough to resist if another situation like this ever arose again.

My cell phone rings and my suspicions are right: It's Will. I hit the ignore button and keep on driving straight home. Only inside my apartment I sigh and take a deep breath. I'm out of imminent danger for now, but my mind still can't let go of that kiss, of the passion and need it has stirred in me.

I wander over to the fridge, checking inside restlessly, then turning around to look into the direction of Peters room, seeing a soft light glow from under his door, indicating he's still awake. An idea forms in my mind, I know just the way to ban Will from my thoughts and do something against this urgent craving I suddenly feel inside of me. Determined I walk towards his room and open it, Peter is lying on his back and reading the paper, looking up at me and smiling when he sees me standing in his doorway.

"Hey." he says and I don't reply, my mind is in overdrive.

I take in his form and think of all the times I've slept with him and wonder if I still can after all that we've been through, after he cheated on me. But basically he still is the same guy, he's still damn attractive the way he's reclining there and looking at me questioningly.

"Are you all right?" he asks me, not quite sure what I am up to. I'm going to show him exactly what I'm up to, I step inside the room and slam the door shut behind me, then walk over and lean down to kiss him before hitching up my skirt and climbing onto the bed, straddling his hips, instantly tugging at his shirt. He's catching on quickly to what I'm up to and helps me get rid of it.

"Let's go to the bedroom." he tells me, but I shut him down. This is not about making love, it's about me needing to get laid badly enough I was acting stupid with my boss, so I tell him, no, we do this here. I press him down to the bed again and lean over to shut off the light, then come back to him and we start up kissing again and taking off our clothes. It's not gentle but rather rough and I refuse to have him take control, even though he's trying several times and slow me down, but I can't stand gentle and slow tonight, not after what I did earlier.

Within ten minutes it's over, I collapse on top of him, panting heavily and catching my breath. Peter is smiling at me and I can't help a rush of tenderness passing through me, so I lean down and kiss him once more, gently this time and taking my time just a little. Then I get off him and the bed and pick up my clothing, just slipping my top and skirt back on without the underwear in case I would run into one of the kids on the way back to my room.

"Thank you." I tell him, then just go without looking back at him.

PETER POV.

I just stare after her and can't really comprehend what that was all about. Her coming on to me like that and being totally in control of me, I can't recall her ever being like that before. Not that I'd complain, it had been very hot after all - just not like I'd have imagined our first time back together. I'd imagined it to be slow and sweet and more about me making it up to her and not like this - her being totally in control, with no foreplay whatsoever and her leaving me alone afterwards. I'm a little worried about her running off like that. I hope I didn't hurt her, but that's highly improbable given how she was clearly enjoying herself. I decide to just give her a little more space, after all she just came to me voluntarily, and I could always talk to her about it tomorrow and make sure she's all right.

Early next morning I wake up because I hear Alicia and the kids in the kitchen, chattering happily, making me smile and get up as well. I greet the kids and walk over to her and kiss her softly to the cheek, thinking that being discreet around the kids for now would be the best way.

"Hey. Good Morning." she greets me softly and hands me a cup of coffee, her eyes never really meeting mine. I furrow my brows and watch her, drinking my coffee in silence. After the kids leave we find ourselves all alone in the kitchen and it's suddenly awkward.

"It was great last night." I tell her, it might sound a little lame but it's still true. She smiles at me, for the first time really meeting my gaze and I can see she liked it, too.

"Are you becoming religious?" she asks me.

"I don't know what I'm becoming. But I wanna change." she starts to walk away because I think she doesn't believe I can. I hold her back and pull her close because this is important for her to know. I do want to change and become a better man for her.

"I mean it, Alicia. I really want to change."

She stares at me and then we are interrupted by the doorbell.

"That's got to be Eli - so I better go change." I tell her, grinning a little at my own joke, and so does she. I lean down to kiss her but something about her posture tells me not to, so I awkwardly kiss her on the cheek. Then we break apart and I let go of her and retreat to my room to put on some clothes while she is answering the door.

ALICIA POV.

The doorbell comes to my rescue. Peter has a point, last night was great, but if he knew why it happened in the first place, he wouldn't maybe think so anymore. I open the door and can't believe my eyes. It is WILL. Of all people.

"Will, what are you doing here, you can't be..."

He shakes his head.

"It's not about that, it's about work. Your cell phone is off - I just spend the whole night at the hospital. I need to talk to Peter."

I gasp at him. He can't be serious.

"No!" I exclaim.

But just then Peter comes up behind me.

"Will?" he exclaims and I mentally curse myself because now I can't just send Will away. But the thought of them together in one room after last night makes me want to throw up.

They both say their hellos and Peter waves Will in, they go to the living room and start talking. I flee to the kitchen and prepare coffee, idly wondering what the protocol is for serving the guy you kissed and the other one you slept with afterwards, rolling my eyes at myself and deciding on just coffee. I bring the plate into the living room and set it down just as Peter agrees to helping Will out.

I cringe mentally, and nearly choke on my coffee as Peter asks how I'm doing at work.  
Will smiles and tells him I'm doing great and apologizes for my late hours. I feel like I'm stuck in a bad dream and very relieved as Will excuses himself and gets up to leave.

After he's gone Peter comes into the living room again and tells me he doesn't recall Will being so nice. I sigh and get up, I'm in a desperate need for a shower now and then I have to get dressed and into work anyway.

I walk past Peter, but he catches a hold of me and hugs me to him from behind, his lips finding my neck and kissing a trail there, making me tense, I can't be doing this now, not after having the two of them sitting together in my living room just minutes before.

"So, about last night..." he whispers into my ear and I shudder softly, I wish I could just get over myself and give in to him, but I just can't right now, so I wind out of his embrace.

"Peter, I can't I have to go to work, you've heard it."

He lets go of me reluctantly.

"Yeah, I get it. I should let you get dressed." he tells me with disappointment in his eyes.

"Thank you." I tell him and give him a soft kiss but breaking it off before it can turn into anything more heated.

* * *

I go into the office but of course I don't have much time to think about what has happened and what I should say, for Will comes to visit me soon after I arrive there. I tell him that I think it was a mistake, us kissing because he's my boss and I'm a junior associate for one. And also because I love my husband and even though it's still all new and complicated between us, I want to make it work with him, and I can't have complications like kissing my boss.

Will seems to be sorry about that but he says he understands it and he doesn't want to be things awkward between us either, so he's willing to let it go. I sigh and am glad that I've got at least that cleared up. Whatever there is between Will and me I can't act on these feelings ever again. I really do still love Peter, but I know we still have much work before us so we can be together again.


	4. Chapter 4

A/N: Ok the course of things is starting to altenate now more and more from the original. Because they are making much progress... ;-)

* * *

ALICIA POV

In the evening I come home and am greeted by Peter, we talk about our day and he pours me a glass of wine. There's and awkward silence, and then he tells me that it's getting late, looking at me expectantly and I know of course what he's implying. But I just can't get myself to let him in like that once more, not when the events of last night are weighing heavily on my mind still. So I tell him Good Night and start to walk away, but he won't let me, he comes after me and grabs a hold of my arm. I turn back around and I see that he's clearly confused about my behavior.

"Alicia, wait. I want to know...did I do something wrong yesterday? I mean, you are so...cold again all of a sudden, and yesterday you were not. I thought...maybe...I mean I hoped..."

This is so painful to watch and it's even worse that he thinks he did something wrong.

"No Peter, you didn't do something wrong...I did."

I tell him, and he's looking even more hurt now.

"So, you regret it, is that it?" he asks me and I feel tears stinging in my eyes. I sigh and shake my head.

"Peter, we need to talk, you better come inside the bedroom with me for that."

I tell him and walk into my room, he follows and is looking really worried now. I sit down on the bed and feel so miserable.

"I need to tell you something Peter, and you won't like it. You will hate it in fact but before you know it I feel unable to move on with you."

I watch his reaction closely and he just stares at me.

"Then tell me? What is it?"

I swallow the lump in my throat.

"Yesterday evening at work - I kissed Will."

He stares at me and blinks randomly.

"You what? But how... I don't understand? I thought you said you never..."

I cut him off.

"I said I never slept with him and that's still true and also this kiss yesterday was the first one, I don't even know how and why it happened. He beat himself up about the case and was all broken and sad, and I was trying to comfort me - and the next thing I knew we were kissing."

His expression is grim now, hurt and anger clearly visible, his hands clenched into fists.  
"So yesterday you coming on to me like that, what was this about? Did you imagine it was him, did you just use me because you couldn't actually do it with him?"

I flinch at his words, of course he would think that, I had that one coming I guess.

"No Peter, it's not like that. I... I was upset by how the kiss was affecting me and I just wanted it gone from my mind. I wanted more than anything else to forget about Will, and I swear I didn't think about him at all while I was with you. Please Peter, you have to believe me."

Tears are streaming down my face now, and I feel so stupid and want to kick myself for letting myself get carried away with Will just like that.

Peter shakes his head.

"Wow. I need to think now. Good Night Alicia."

With that he just leaves me here, I'm a little shocked but of course I can't blame him. I just get up and switch off the light, I feel ice cold suddenly so I just take off my clothes and crawl under the covers, shaking violently now from crying.

PETER POV

I go to my room and shut the door behind me, tempted to just slam it but of course I can't because I don't want to wake the kids. I stare at the bed and can't believe what she just told me. After she swore to me up and down there was nothing between her and Will now she tells me she kissed him, only to have sex with me afterwards and then be all cold towards me again? I feel used and not in a good way, no matter what she tells me.

I can't stand the thought of her with him, it sickens me and makes me furious. I want to just go and punch Will in the face, but of course I can't because I'm confined to the apartment - well maybe that really is for the best. I pace back and forth, I can't seem to calm down, this is just too much. I want to go back over to the other bedroom and yell at her, but if I do I'll just end up saying ugly things I didn't really intend to say, we both might. So I decide to just get some sleep and let it go for now. Also I need to regroup and think about what I should do now.

ALICIA POV

I didn't sleep well last night. After I cried some more and finally was able to sleep I dreamt bad stuff and then nearly overslept. When I come to the kitchen Peter is already having breakfast with the kids, he greets me and pours me a cup of coffee, but he's not making any attempt to kiss or touch me like he used to, and I want to start crying, feeling like I'm losing him all over again. I down the coffee and then tell them all good bye before running out, glad that I won't be late for court at least.

In the evening I come home and we have a normal family dinner, though I still feel Peter is distant, but trying not to let it show too much, for the sake of the kids I guess. After the kids have said Good Night and are retired to their rooms for the night, Peter has me sit down on the couch with him.

"Listen, I have to tell you something." he says and his tone of voice tells me it's something I might not like. I feel nauseous, is he going to break up with me now? Thousand things are running through my head, I'm thinking of what I should say or do, so when he speaks I have to pull myself out of my own musings and gape at him.

"Uhm what?" I sit upright now and feel slightly alarmed.

"Yeah, Zach and me had "the talk" today. He actually came and asked me some questions, you know, about sex, because he has a girlfriend now."

I gasp, my mind finally on the right track.

"Oh my God Peter, he's much too young to be having a girlfriend! And to have sex! I hope you told him that?"

He's laughing now.

"Yes I did tell him I think he was too young, but I also said it was very brave of him to try and talk to me about these things. I couldn't imagine ever asking my father about these things back in the day and had to find out all on my own." he says.

I cringe mentally at my talk about sex and theses things with my mother, that had been super embarrassing for me.

"Yeah, back when we were teenagers I guess it was harder to talk about these things, as opposed to now where it's all kind of out in the open."

Peter nods.  
"So, what exactly did he want to know? Do you think he already slept with Becca? How long has this been going on anyway?"

"Well I guess he hasn't so far, but he basically wanted to know how he'd find out the right moment, and...well he's obviously given this much thought, too much, I told him. I said it's not something he should be planning or trying to force but he'd know when the time was right."

He's grinning now.

"I knew when the time was right back when we were first dating. And God knows even though it wasn't my first time I was mighty nervous before it happened, until I wasn't anymore."

I giggle and actually blush a little, for the memory of that night is still very vivid on my mind.

"But yeah, we were a lot older already then. And it wasn't the first time for neither of us."

He nods.

"True, but kids grow up much faster these days it seems, so I guess we can be glad we can at least provide some helpful advice."

"Yes, you're right, of course. But I still don't like the thought much."

I sigh and shake my head, not really able to wrap my mind around what I just heard and thinking vaguely that it all will only get worse once Grace will be a little older.  
I get up from the couch and tell Peter Good Night, I'm tired and just want to sleep now.

Peter is looking at me now more earnest again, the grin from earlier nearly gone.

"I want to share the bedroom again." he tells me, out of the blue. I stop dead in my tracks, staring at him shocked. He.. what? Where did that come from now?

"My parents slept in separate bedrooms for 20 years. I don't want to have their marriage." he goes on.

I cringe mentally at the thought and all the awkward family dinners with his parents while his Dad was still alive.

"I don't either." I tell him.

"Good. Because I'm not just a Dad or a man on your arm, and not just your roommate." he adds, his gaze intense and I know he really means it.

"I know." I tell him.

"Do you, Alicia?"

I gasp. I see of course where he is going with this, me kissing Will, and I shake my head in resignation.

"I'm sorry Peter. I know I've..."

He cuts me off:  
"No, don't apologize. Look. I get it. I was damn angry at you but I thought about it endlessly before finally falling asleep last night and then some more today. Fact is, I still love you. And this whole mess started with me betraying you like I did and then going to prison and leaving you to fend all for yourself. But you are not by yourself anymore, and the fact that you haven't divorced me yet tells me you still want me as your husband. So, I'm willing to be that but you have to let me in completely. So, are you ready for that? Letting me back in?"

I swallow the lump forming in my throat. Of course he is right, if we want to give this marriage a real chance I can't cut the sex with him out forever. Because I know that's what it's about at heart, not just the sleeping arrangements.

"I really want to. You are right, we need to give this a real chance. But I'm afraid...what if it still won't work?"

He gets up and walks over to me, smiling now.

"If we both agree that we want this and we're both fully committed to this, we will. One step at a time. So the next step is you leaving me back into your bedroom. And you know I don't mean just the sex - I really miss you with me, miss just being able to hold you close until we fall asleep."

I sigh. I know the feeling, for I've had it plenty of times over the past weeks since he was back in my life. I nod ever so slightly, then turn around and go into the bedroom, switching on the light and leaving the door open behind me as a way of inviting him to follow me.

He comes in after me while I'm taking off my jacket and shoes, then grab a nightgown and go to the bathroom, emerging out of it 10 minutes later with my teeth brushed and face scrubbed clean. He's changed into PJ bottoms and a plain T-Shirt in the meantime and smiles at me, disappearing into the bathroom as well. When he comes back out I'm already cuddled up in bed. He switches off the light and gets in beside me and pulls me close to him, pressing a soft kiss to the side of my neck. I tense a little and instantly feel silly about it and take a deep breath, relaxing into his warm embrace.

He chuckles softly.

"Good night Alicia. I love you." he says. I smile and sigh, suddenly feeling very glad that we agreed to give each other another chance, maybe the first real one, and I relax more and more and finally fall asleep to the rhythm of his even breathing.


	5. Chapter 5

Ok, this story gets so much love, so here is the update. Thank you Mary for hand holding and kicking :p and being sweet when I needed it. Also thanks to her I have an idea for another 2 chapters, but my muse is being a bi*** lately so I can't promise you anything. But there IS one scene I desperately wanted in here...so yeah well, we'll see :D

* * *

PETER POV

The next day I have an appointment in court and a police car is dispatched to get me there. Unfortunately I didn't have much time to talk more with Alicia - let alone do other things because she jumped out of bed and vanished into the bathroom as soon as she came awake. She'd been cuddled up to me and sleeping peacefully and I'd just watched her for some minutes, not daring to move. My anger for her had long vanished and been replaced by a feeling of deep joy and happiness of getting the chance to be close to her like that again.

Then the alarm clock went off and sent her in a hurry to start her day, and now I have to patiently wait for her till she'll be home from work. Well at least I have something to do for the afternoon - my court appointment. When I get there I hear that my hearing is pushed back half an hour, as I wait there I see Will stepping out of one of the courtrooms. He sees me and comes over and I try to keep a civil face, even manage to force a smile to my face. Knocking him out right here in the building would not shed a favorable light on me for my trial. Also I've kind of worked it out with Alicia, and she wouldn't like me punching her boss, either.

"Peter? Hey! You having a hearing today? You should see Alicia at work in there, she's brilliant today, I have another appointment now or I would have stayed till the end. You take care, I have to go now." He tells me and walks on.

I check my watch, still 15 minutes to go till my own appointment. I ask the officer if we could step into the courtroom for a little while waiting. He nods and we go in, just and the sight that's offered to me almost makes my jaw drop. Alicia is squaring off against the judge on a question of 5th amendment infringement on his side and things are already pretty heated.

Just as I quietly sit down the judge threatens her to shut up or be held in contempt, but she's still not giving up and even is returning the threat and for some seconds it's deadly quiet in the room. Then the judge actually gives in and the session is adjourned. I gasp and a proud grin crosses my face. It's been a while since I last saw her in court but she didn't strike me as so strong and incredibly brilliant before.  
The police officer signals we have to go now because my own hearing is about to start and I'm sad I can't go to her and tell her how proud I am of her.

* * *

She comes home late again, I'm watching a movie with the kids and she kisses them Good Night and smiles at me softly, then disappears into the bedroom. Soon afterwards the movie is done and I send the kids to bed and go to find her, she's in the bathroom it seems for I can hear the water running. Images of her in court earlier come back to my mind and I'm more than a little turned on by them. I go inside and see she's just finished with brushing her teeth. She looks up, our gaze meeting in the mirror.

"I'm almost done." she informs me and I walk over to her, never taking my eyes of her. When I'm up real close she asks me what I'm up to, making my grin even wider. I'm going to show her exactly, I turn her around, gripping her by the hips and hoisting her up on the counter, making her gasp in surprise.

"Peter, what are you doing?" she's surprised, but can't help the hint of a smile from showing on her face.

"I saw you in court today. You were amazing." I tell her, because it's the truth, she really was.

"Peter... I've got..." she's starting to protest so I cut off her words with a passionate kiss while opening her robe, revealing the nightgown she's wearing underneath.  
I move back a little and take the time to watch her.

"I have to study." she tells me, but her body is arching into the touch of my hands now running up her thighs, making her gasp and close her eyes. At the same time I start kissing downwards, then come back up to kiss her lips, she's already panting slightly and I pull her close to me so she can feel what she's doing to me, feel my desperate need for her. We look at each other for some time, then she tells me:

"I really have to study."

I narrow my eyes, she can't be serious and I'm already too far gone to just back off now like I know I probably should. A wicked idea crosses my mind.  
"Ok. Let me." I tell her and before she can respond or protest any further I kneel before her and go to work, shutting off all further protest from her.

ALICIA POV

I'm still slightly out of breath. I wasn't lying when I said I had to study my case files but Peter coming on to me like that and looking at me like he wanted me for desert wasn't easy to resist. So I gave up on the notion of studying pretty quickly. Peter had found a good way to distract me, that was for sure, after I was done he got up and grinned at me, then left the room, leaving me sitting here on the counter and wondering.

I know this is kind of a peace offering from his side, a sign that he really wants things between us to work again, and I'm so thankful for that. And I want nothing more, and am really glad he took the first step right now. I smile and hop down from the counter, then look at my appearance in the mirror once more. I am already dressed for bed and have to fight the urge to put on makeup again, suddenly feeling like I need to do something special for him in return.

I take off my robe, I'm wearing a plain black nightdress, nothing overly sexy, so I take that off as well. I grin, now finally content with my appearance and go to the bedroom next door. He's just about to take off his pants, leaving him only clothed in his boxers and a plain T-Shirt. I stop in the doorway and watch him, his gaze narrows as he takes in my completely naked appearance and then his lips spread into a wide smile.

"Whatever happened to studying?" he asks me, grinning wickedly.

I shrug my shoulders.

"I guess I'll have to make time before the trial tomorrow. For now I guess I have a more important matter to attend to."

He slowly walks in my direction, I move to meet him at the foot of the bed and kiss him passionately, bringing my own desire back to life.

We break the kiss and he lets his eyes wander down my body, then back up to look in my eyes.

"You're beautiful, Alicia. I love you so much." he tells me, and I know it's true. And I also know my own feelings by now.

"I love you too, Peter."

He doesn't need to hear more for now it seems, I tug at his shirt so he takes it off, directly followed by his boxers, then we get into bed, though it's a long time before we are finally actually sleeping.


	6. Chapter 6

Ok. Here it comes. It's the final chapter, but a big one at least. So, be prepared for some angst :D Some of it might be familiar again though once more I changed the setup completely to fit my timeline. I hope you enjoyed this. Because I did :-)

* * *

ALICIA POV

Two weeks later I come home from work and get the mail, then go upstairs, stepping inside and calling out for Peter and the kids that I'm home. I sort through the mail and my attention is drawn by a large plain brown paper envelope. It has no writing whatsoever on it and I furrow my brows, what could that be?

I put the other envelopes down and rip it open, it contains one picture that I only see the back of now, and a note. I read the note and dread creeps up my spine. It reads:

"The little hooker was not the only one."

I swallow the lump forming in my throat that's already feeling like it's choking me. I turn the picture around and that's when it's really getting bad, almost knocking all air out of my lungs like someone punched me into the stomach. The picture is pretty innocent. But the meaning is instantly clear to me. It's showing Peter and Kalinda - entering a hotel room together. The picture must have been taken from the other side of the hallway and they are totally unaware of being watched as they have only eyes for each other. I want to throw up. Or scream. Before I can decide on what to do I hear Peter coming up behind me.

"Hey Babe, you're home. Anything interesting in the mail?"

I breathe in and out a couple of times to try and calm down but I just can't. After we spend 2 weeks up on cloud number nine this is what I get. An ugly fall on the face. It's all just lies all over again, putting everything we had newly build in question, dragging it to the dirt. I turn around to face him, he takes a step back, the smile instantly gone from his face.

"Alicia, what's up? Is everything ok?"

I laugh bitterly.

"Is everything ok? No Peter. Nothing is ok. Nothing will ever be ok again."

I spit out and hand him the picture. He looks at it and his face falls, getting all pale.

"Oh fuck. Oh no. Alicia..."

"No Peter. Save it. I can't stand you lying to my face all over again. I don't believe this. Kalinda? Of all people? When...how...so is that what you were doing "working" late all the time? Screwing her while she was still working for you?"

He shakes his head.

"It wasn't like that..."

I laugh again.

"Really Peter, that's what you are going with, the "it's not what it looks like" card?"

I'm furious now.

"No Alicia, all I'm saying is... it was a onetime thing with her."

I shake my head and clench my fists unconsciously.

"And that's supposed to make it better? It was just one time with her? So what now? I forgive you only to find out over and over again that there was another woman out there that you had "just one time" with?"

"I promise you Alicia there is no other women anymore." he tells me and wants to come closer now, his eyes pleading with me to believe him.

"No don't. Don't come near me and don't you dare touch me." I tell him, and he stops. But I realize he's already too close and I can't stand to be near him now. Can't stand to have to look at his face anymore. By some miracle the kids seem to be unaware of us fighting so far, so I have to go before this gets out of hand. Out of the apartment and away from him. He can't follow me so I will be safe from him once I'm out the door. I grip my purse and keys and open the door, going out before he can reach me.

"No Alicia don't go. Don't leave me like this."

He stops dead in his tracks just in front of the threshold as the realization registers that he can't follow me out, his gaze of shock and hurt giving me just a hint of satisfaction.

"I _will_ leave you like this Peter. And I'm not sure if I want to ever come back, either."

I tell him, my voice cold and filled with the hurt and anger I'm feeling.

Then I turn away and head for the elevators, suddenly I hear a piercing loud alarm and as I turn Peter stands beside me, gripping my arm.  
"Please. Don't go."

PETER POV

I watch her step outside and want to follow her, then realize I can't, because I'm trapped inside here. But what good is being out of prison when Alicia, my wife that I love so much, is about to walk out on me? I have the distinct feeling, if I let her go now, I might lose her forever and I just can't. So without hesitating any further I step outside, the loud alarm making me flinch but I don't give a damn. I catch up with her before she can even reach the elevators and grip her by the arm.

"Please don't go." I tell her, pleading now, willing to fall to my knees in front of her and beg her if that's what's needed.

She gasps and just stares at me in shock.

"Peter! You can't be out here. No! What have you done?"

The kids come running from inside the apartment.

"Dad! What's wrong? What happened?"

And just on cue the telephone starts ringing. Alicia and me stare at each other, then she grabs my hand and drags me inside the apartment again. At least the alarm is shut off once I'm inside the apartment again.

"You need to answer it!" Alicia tells me, and I know I do. But what shall I say? Is there a way I can talk myself out of this?

I go and pick up the phone just before the 5th ring.

"Peter Florrick." I say, looking at Alicia, her eyes are wide with panic and worry.

"Yes. No. it was an accident. Yes. I understand. Yes, of course I will be here. Thanks."

I hang up the telephone again.

"They are sending the police officer over. To check what's up and to see about necessary actions."

I tell my family that's staring at me, still worried.

"Are they gonna put you back into jail?" Grace asks.

I shake my head lightly.

"I have no idea, Grace. It might be possible."

I tell her truthfully, because I don't know myself what will happen, but know that it is indeed possible the officer might take me with him right away.

Alicia takes a step towards me.

"Kids, can you please leave us alone for 5 minutes, I need to talk to your father alone."

They look at each other, then nod and go.

The second they are out of sight Alicia begins to cry and hugs me tightly, sobbing into my shirt.

"I'm so sorry Peter. I shouldn't have gone out like that. But I would never have thought you'd be so stupid to follow me. You might end up back in prison now, are you aware of that?" she says after the worst of her crying has died down.

"Yes, I know that. But I couldn't just let you walk out on me like that. I'd rather go back to prison than just standing idly by and let you go. I love you so much and I'm so sorry I hurt you. And that you had to learn of it like this."

She shakes her head.

"That's not important right now. I love you, too, you know I do, I just overreacted maybe. But the most important thing is that we need to come up with something now to get you to stay home and not have you go back."

In that precise moment there's a knock on the door. We stare at each other for 2 more seconds, then I walk over and open the door to the familiar police officer that's been on my case from the start.

"Mr. Florrick. So, what happened here?" He looks from me to Alicia, who still is showing clear signs she's been crying.

Alicia wipes at her face.

"It was my fault." she says.

We both stare at her, before I can protest, she starts to speak.

"We had a fight. You know, like every married couple sometimes has. I wanted to go out the door, he gripped my arm once I've already opened the door and was about to go out, preventing me from leaving. We struggled and somehow the transmitter must have crossed the threshold."

The police officer furrows his brow.

"But the log says, the transmitter was out of reach 21 seconds. If what you say is true, and you went back inside right away, that would account for what? Maybe 3 seconds?"

The police officer says.

"Well, he did answer the phone, like it was requested. And he's still here. And he unintentionally crossed the threshold, and not in some effort to flee, and who knows if it's even possible to reconstruct the fight exactly how it went down, there were no witnesses after all." she says.

He looks from her to me and back to her again, in his mind trying to make sense of what he just heard. The longer the silence lasts, the more I begin to see myself put in handcuffs all over and brought back to prison.

"Ok fine. Mr. Florrick, you've had no violations so far and have always been a kind and unproblematic man during the transfers. And yeah well, as your wife pointed out it might not be reconstructed exactly and without a doubt anyway what happened here. So I'll just check your system once more now and then I'll leave. But I'll warn you, you take better care the next time and maybe keep your fights strictly indoors, because if this happens again, I will have to take you back to prison, you understand that?"

Alicia and me look at each other for a split second, both trying hard to contain our surprise and joy and keep a solemn expression.

"Of course, officer. We will keep that in mind."

After he has checked the transmitter and station and is out of the door we just look at each other for some seconds, the scare of me having to go to prison suddenly falling away and leaving us with a feeling of happiness and relief.

She runs towards me and we kiss, she's crying again, laughing this time, and I feel myself tear up a little, as well.

"I'm so sorry." I whisper against her lips.

"No, I am sorry, Peter." she whispers back, and when we finally break apart we realize the kids are standing there, watching us, waiting for our moment to be over.

We turn towards them and then we hug each other alternating, being happy that it was just a near miss and I get to stay home with them.

Alicia POV

Much later we lie in bed next to each other, naked and exhausted. I know we need to talk about what happened and what it all means some more, but the shock of nearly losing Peter again to have him go back to prison touched something deeply inside of me, made me realize how much harder it would hit me this time around.

I know now that I overreacted, of course he should have been upfront from me from the start and I'm not sure how I should handle things with Kalinda from now on, because I thought she was my friend and now it seems she maybe isn't. But I will figure it out when the time comes. For now I'm cuddled up to Peter and am just glad he's still here. I press a kiss to his chest and look up at him.

"You scared the hell out of me earlier." I tell him.

He laughs softly.

"No, you did. First by threatening to leave me. And then lying to a cop like this. I thought my heart was about to stop." he tells me, shaking his head softly.

I raise one eyebrow and grin at him.

"Well I wasn't exactly lying, just telling a slightly modified version of the truth." I tell him.

He grins and pulls me closer.

"You're such a lawyer, you know that?" he asks me and we both laugh at that.

"Yes, I guess I really am. And I love it." I tell him.

After some time his expression becomes solemn again.

"I'm sorry Alicia, I mean it. I should have told you...about Kalinda. Right from the start."  
I nod.

"Yes. You should have. But over the past weeks, especially the last two, I've come to fall in love with you all over again I guess, and I know you've changed and I'm willing to let the past be the past, if you promise me to never put me through this again." I tell him, making him nod.

"Of course, Alicia. I promise that. I'm never putting you through that again. I don't want anybody else but you, ever again. I love you. Only you."

I pull him close for a slow and tender kiss.

"I love you, too."

We kiss again and seconds turn into minutes and minutes into over an hour of pleasure and whispered words until we are finally falling asleep, knowing that we're on the best way this time to get this right.


End file.
